Intel Launch Six-Core but 8-Core Chips as well

Well, if you had any doubt that multi-core processors would not be the future, think again. Loads of rumors and details already hit the web regarding both Intel's and AMD's six core processors. But as it seems now, Intel is also planning to release an 8-core processor.

That's right, eight cores which hyper-threaded show sixteen of these cute and lovely CPU load boxes in the task manager ;)

Of course the 8-core part will be introduced in the server (Xeon) segment first. It will be a 45-nm 8-core chip known as "Nehalem-EX." This actually was mentioned a year ago already, but now Intel says it has already shipped the chip to system makers, who should be shipping to customers this quarter. Unfortunately there are no other details on this SKU.

Meanwhile AMD is planning a six-core chip for single and dual-socket servers, and a dual-die version with up to 12 cores called "Magny-Cours" for two and four-socket servers, both likely under the Opteron name.